Art against the odds: new book showcases Sudan's isolated creatives

In a time of war and economic austerity, when making art has become deemed a luxury, a new book is showcasing Sudan’s artists in a bid to celebrate this struggling community.

Launched in Khartoum, Art in Times of Adversity^[1] presents the work of 30 artists and documents how the country’s increased isolation has contributed to Sudan’s a vibrant and distinctive style.

Produced and published collector Lina Haggar, all proceeds from book sales will go to buying art supplies and funding scholarships for young local artists.

Related: Ibrahim el-Salahi: from Sudanese prison to Tate Modern show^[2]

For Haggar, who moved to Khartoum more than 20 years ago and has since set up the country’s first commercial gallery, the book is a way to bring local talent to an international audience.^[3]

“The major problem is that there is no national museum of modern art to collect, document or showcase Sudanese artists, which is sad when we compare this to the situation in other Arab and African countries,” says Haggar.

The country was once renowned for its bustling cultural scene, and Khartoum painter Ibrahim El-Salahi was recently the first African^[4] artist to stage a solo exhibition at London’s Tate Modern.

Artists such as El-Salahi, Ahmed Shibrain and Kamala Ishag emerged from a pioneering 1960s movement linked to the Khartoum School^[5] set up by calligrapher Othman Waqialla, a time when the newly independent country was a hub of artistic and literary experimentation.

But in the years since, political and economic changes have severely limited the scope of the country’s creative community. US sanctions over the harbouring of Osama Bin Laden^[6] and the war in Darfur^[7] have progressively isolated the country, while stringent immigration controls means many citizens are unable to apply for foreign grants and scholarships.

“Due to economic and political factors, particularly US sanctions on Sudan^[8] and the withdrawal in the 1990s of many western embassies, the majority of young Sudanese artists have had to develop their art in a vacuum - estranged from the rest of the world,” explains Tarneem Saeed, a Sudanese lawyer who collaborated with Haggar on the project.

The split from oil-rich South Sudan^[9] in 2011 further exacerbated the situation. In times of such hardship, art and culture are no longer a priority for the government.

“Sudan is one of the strongest countries in the region artistically, yet there is not a single government-funded gallery in Khartoum. Most exhibitions are organised privately or by European cultural arms – the government plays no role in the development or preservation of the fine arts,” says Dr Hussein Jam’an, dean of the faculty of art and design at Khartoum’s Future University.

Related: 'Where are the libraries?' The literary radical fighting Sudan's crackdowns^[10]

The current government has also been accused of exacerbating the situation by limiting the availability of books^[11] and other materials. Readers have had to turn to the black market where many publications have been smuggled in from Egypt.

Funding for arts education has also been axed, with the college of fine and applied art now incorporated into Sudan University and receiving a fraction of its former budget.

“It used to be the case that only the most talented of students would be accepted into the college, after a challenging admissions exam. Now, anyone that applies and can pay the fees – even if they did not study art in school – is accepted,” says Dr Ahmed Abdelrahman, associate professor and former head of the calligraphy department.

In this vacuum, artists have developed their own styles, distinct from more global trends. Amel Bashir, an artist working in Khartoum, is inspired by Nubian queens and the persecuted Nuba people in the south of Sudan^[12]. Limited to what she can source in the capital, she uses a uni-ball pen to etch intricate monochromatic portraits on large sheets of white paper.

“The main problem faced by artists in Sudan is a lack of appreciation,” she says. “We see artists in the west get showered with support and appreciation by the masses and the media. We simply don’t have that here.”

Mutaz Mohammed, also based in the capital, has harnessed the lack of supplies and has become known for his portrayal of scenes from everyday Sudanese life drawn in pastels and ballpoint pen.

But even Mutaz, currently one of the bestselling artists in the country, struggles to make ends meet. “There is simply no market,” he says. “I’ve been doing this for 13 years, it’s my bread and butter. Even with exposure from exhibitions and fairs I can go one or two months without selling a single painting. Imagine two months with no source of income? That is the struggle.”

As they fight to maintain art’s relevance in the country, Haggar says this is what makes Sudan’s artists so compelling: “There is one key theme that stood out to me – perseverance,” she says.

References

1. ^{^} Art in Times of Adversity (events.insidesudan.com)
2. ^{^} Ibrahim el-Salahi: from Sudanese prison to Tate Modern show (www.theguardian.com)
3. ^{^} first commercial gallery (dabangagroup.com)
4. ^{^} Ibrahim El-Salahi was recently the first African (www.tate.org.uk)
5. ^{^} the Khartoum School (www.tate.org.uk)
6. ^{^} US sanctions over the harbouring of Osama Bin Laden (www.theguardian.com)
7. ^{^} war in Darfur (af.reuters.com)
8. ^{^} Sudan (www.theguardian.com)
9. ^{^} split from oil-rich South Sudan (www.theguardian.com)
10. ^{^} 'Where are the libraries?' The literary radical fighting Sudan's crackdowns (www.theguardian.com)
11. ^{^} limiting the availability of books (www.theguardian.com)
12. ^{^} persecuted Nuba people in the south of Sudan (viewer.gutools.co.uk)